Is It Okay to Have a Parenting Pet Peeve?
June 27th, 2012
by Katrina Brooke
If you’re like about 99% of us, you have at least one thing that you feel so strongly about that you can’t bear to see your kids do it. I’m not talking about huge things like sex, drugs, or gangs. It’s our job to take a stand on these issues. What I’m talking about here is much smaller stuff, such as kids making popping sounds with their gum, wearing their hats inside, rolling their eyes, saying “like” a lot, wanting long hair, letting their rooms resemble the local landfill, etc.
There’s nothing wrong with having a parenting pet peeve or two. That is, as long as you aren’t attempting to micromanage or control your kids over every issue.
What’s my advice? Share plenty of control in the form of small choices. “Do you want juice or milk?” or “Do you want to do your chores now or in fifteen minutes?” are good examples. In our CD, Oh Great! What Do I Do Now?, we teach that the more choices like these you give, the more likely your child will comply when you say, “I know this may sound uptight to you, but I’d really like you to do this. Thanks!”
Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.
Dr. Charles Fay
©2012 Love and Logic Institute, Inc.
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